The activities performed by users on a database are generally recorded in activity logs. When there is an interruption of the normal functioning of the database, reviewing the activity logs may be needed to troubleshoot the issue. The activity logs are not always kept on the database servers and sometimes are transferred to storage tapes for permanent storages. An audit trail refers to a part or whole activity log transferred from a database server to a storage tape.
It is possible that when an interruption of a database service happens, the relevant activity logs have already been deleted from the database and transferred to storage tapes. Reviewing audit trails on the storage tapes, thus, may be needed to pinpoint the issues causing the interruption. Specialized third party companies are often hired by database administrators for reviewing the activity logs. However, database administrators may tightly regulate the physical access of the storage tapes and may be reluctant to physically transport the storage tapes to the specialized third party companies. These characteristics of storage tapes make database troubleshooting difficult. Embodiments of the invention and their equivalents disclosed herein may provide alternative solutions.